Something magical was created ......
'Something magical was created that day. Sharing and hearing stories, igniting curiosity, and forming connections.' – Participant feedback
The Big Scottish Story Ripple is the Scottish International Storytelling Festival’s annual community and family Programme, which pairs local storytellers with schools and community groups throughout Scotland.
Groups can apply to cover the cost of their storyteller’s fees and in return, successful applicants offer a good deed back to their local community on or before St Andrew’s Day.
In 2022 the Big Scottish Story Ripple hosted over 120 sessions, delivered by 41 different storytellers, with over 3,200 people taking part, sharing over 700 stories together.
The Stone Soup Collective is a series of events, facilitated by a storyteller in partnership with a community hub in their local area, hosting a ceilidh of stories, songs, food and dance, right in the heart of the community.
The Stone Soup is a European folk story in which strangers convince the people of a town to each share a small amount of their food to make a larger meal that everyone can enjoy. At the heart of this story is a message of welcoming strangers, integration, kindness and sharing our resources to enable community strength and support.
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival is the world’s largest celebration of storytelling, anchored in Scotland, a nation of storytellers. The Festival takes place in October each year, as the seasons change with long nights drawing families and friends around the hearth, inspired by the Scottish ceilidh tradition – a community gathering full of tales, anecdotes, music and song. Expert storytellers command the attention of the room as they weave their tales of life, love, magic and mystery, with audience involvement being a key component of the festival.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F8JYX5d8_c
Illustrated by Cara Gates
‘My name is Cara, and I am an illustrator based in the Scottish Borders. My work is largely inspired by femininity, nature, mythology and folklore, stories and music. My illustration style is very much influenced by Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, Aestheticism and the Pre-Raphaelites. Recently, my work has been mainly digital, but I also enjoy working with relief printing, gouache and water colour paint, marker pens. I have recently also been exploring how I could incorporate my love for yarn crafts, like knitting and crochet, into my practice.
As part of a collaboration between Jack Arts x Edinburgh Festivals, this poster project aims to highlight the Scottish International Storytelling Festival and celebrate the magic and importance of storytelling, reflecting on one of the many community events that took place in 2022 as part of The Big Scottish Ripple Project. The illustration depicts an older woman retelling her experience of planting trees with her child many years ago, her white hair flowing up to the top right of the poster to frame the image of her memory. Two children stand with her as she speaks, listening with wonder, while light green plants grow and wind upward in the background.’
Visit Cara’s website | @cara.illo
